Liam Davies oozes confidence ahead of clash vs Shabaz Masoud, aims for Inoue next

Junior featherweight Liam Davies and fellow unbeaten contender Shabaz Masoud will lock horns on Saturday at the Resorts World Arena, Birmingham, England.

Davies, rated at No. 5 by The Ring at junior featherweight, had been scheduled to face his domestic rival in the summer only for those plans to be shelved due to a virus.

Now fit and healthy, Davies intends to make a statement after some discord between the two camps.

“It’s fight No. 17, it’s the perfect fight for me, another undefeated opponent and one I’m very confident in winning,” Davies (16-0, 8 knockouts) told The Ring.

“I wouldn’t really say between me and Shabaz, it’s the people that he’s with and they way they’ve gone about it. It’s done my head in. It’s just messaging. It’s the way they’ve gone about it and to me they’ve crossed the line. So poor Shabaz is going to have to take the punishment for it.”

However, that’s not to say Davies doesn’t recognize the potential danger he faces.

“Yeah, he’s good, I’m not going to discredit him if he was no good,” said Davies. “He’s unbeaten, he’s beaten everyone put in front of him so far. I feel like this is his big step up now. He’s going to have to be better than what he’s shown. He’s a good boxer, he’s sharp. I don’t think he’s the strongest but there’s only one way to find out.

“He’s got a good team behind him and good set of skills but at this level one or two boxes ticking isn’t enough, you’ve got to have a bit of everything. Especially strength-wise, not even punching power, I don’t think physically he’s shown much strength. He got bullied by the Colombian, [Jose Sanmartin] who I just saw got beat by the American [Elijah Pierce.] The lad he fought [Marvin Solano] when we were meant to fight just got banjo’d by Brad Strand, who I don’t believe is a big puncher. But on the night that’s the only way to find out.”

Interestingly and adding another lay of intrigue and storyline to proceedings, the two met twice in the amateurs in their teens.

“Yeah, one when we were 13, 14 and one when we were 17, a long time ago,” he recalled. “They try to make out he battered me but he won on split decision. I don’t know anyone that got battered and lost on a split decision, do you? They talk crap. It’s a long time ago and it’s different fight now. Everyone keeps asking me about it and it’s so irrelevant. The lad they fought then would have never been in this position I am now. A lot has changed. I hope he doesn’t take too much into it because he’s going to have a big shock on November 2.”

The 28-year-old has previously won British, Commonwealth and European titles and currently wears the lesser-regarded IBO title (not recognized by The Ring).

Davies feels he’s ready to face the best not just in his division but also in boxing.

“I want to go to Japan, that’s my focus. There’s nothing else for me in the division, I’ve won everything, I’ve give up titles for the ones who don’t want to fight me,” he said with a playful dig at unbeaten Dennis McCann, who has collected his old titles. “After this fight unless something is big in Saudi or Japan, maybe I’ll move up because I’ve achieved everything at this weight. The only thing I haven’t is fighting Inoue.

“[The Ring and undisputed champion Naoya] Inoue is the best and I’ve done this from a young lad and always set out to be the best so, I would just appreciate and be very grateful at my shot and turn up to give it everything. He’s a great champion but I just feel like I’m a great boxer, I hit hard and I give myself a great shot even though people make out you aint, when you’ve done it all your life why would you want a shot at the best.”

Though cautions he would also entertain a move up in weight if the fight isn’t forthcoming.

“I’m not going to wait around forever, I’m on my own journey,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got a good chance to win world titles at featherweight as well.

“I could go up and come back down. When you fight and who you fight is out of my control. I don’t ask questions of when, I just ask to get out as soon as possible. You get one go at boxing, I’m not waiting around for no man, I’m writing my own story. I’ve been ready this year and he’s tied up with fights. It doesn’t look very likely but you never know, Sam Goodman or someone pulls out, I’ll be ready. To me, I beat [Inoue], I’m the man.”

Masoud (13-0, 4 KOs) turned professional in 2018. The Englishman initially went down the small hall route before impressing the powers that be and fighting on Matchroom and laterly Queensberry Promotions. The 28-year-old slickster holds win over previously unbeaten Jack Bateson (TKO 12) and gatekeeper Jose Sanmartin (SD 10).

Davies-Masoud, plus undercard action, will be broadcast on TNT Sports at 7:00 p.m. GMT.

Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at [email protected].

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